A Lancashire communications tech business has raised a seven-figure investment from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II), as it further expands in the UK, US and Europe.
Kirkham-based Audiebant, which counts NHS trusts, schools and the UK Government among its clients, provides a range of solutions to ensure critical announcements and messages reach the public. This includes mass communications distributed through audio networks, mobiles, PCs and outdoor tech (including digital displays) during lockdown, critical incident and emergency events.
The company raised the money from NPIF II – Praetura Equity Finance, which is managed by Praetura Ventures as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II. Audiebant will use the funds to develop its SaaS (software as a service) technology, including its patent-pending multilingual outdoor unit and AI emergency response platform, and expand its global footprint.
After recently launching in the US, Audiebant is turning its attention to further European expansion, having just implemented its technology in Luxembourg. The business also says demand is only increasing in the wake of global events, such as wildfires and ongoing threats to infrastructure.
Currently Audiebant’s safety communication systems are already in place across more than 600 client sites, spanning education, healthcare and various corporate sectors. However, the company expects its footprint to grow substantially overseas as well as in the UK, where the recent passing of Martyn’s Law has put increased responsibilities on venues and events to ensure they are prepared for terrorism and emergencies, following the 2017 Manchester Arena attack.
Besides critical incidents and emergencies, such as terrorism events and natural disasters, Audiebant is aiming to become the go-to source for universal mass communication. For example, Audiebant’s outdoor technology will help events companies to relay useful information, such as set times at music events.
